Could you clarify exactly what the problem is here?

By speed bump magnet, you mean the magnet at the enterance to the doc ock lane is acting like a speedbump? On the machine I play, that is level with the playfield, and it's my understanding that this is correct, and it isn't supposed to significantly effect the path of the ball (unless it's turned on, of course )

You're saying that the ball is often bouncing out of the doc ock saucer?, and rolling back down the lane? I've never seen that happen, nor does it seem like something that plausibly could happen, considering how the one near me plays...

I know there's some setting that controls whether Doc Ock rises and lowers (sometimes blocking the shot) during gameplay. But i've never heard of the ball actually bouncing out of the saucer. I think careful observation is in order, something must be out of alignment or something.

Yeah, definitely remove and fix/replace the magnet core. It could be that a bounce imparted by the raised magnet core is contributing to the bounce-out problem. At best, raised magnet cores tend to contribute to wear around the magnet from the ball hopping into the air and then impacting the PF.

I suspect there will be some level of disassembly involved, but I don't own an SM, so I can't offer much help on that. The manual would, I assume, have a section on disassembly of the magnet if it's not obvious how to do so when you start examining it.

I've gone down this road. A heightened magnet definitely impacts gameplay and things are 100% better once it's addressed.

The magnet assembly drops out quite easily -- it just requires unplugging a molex and unscrewing two screws. Depending on how mushroomed the head is, you've got to be very careful about damaging the playfield when you pull the magnet out of the playfield. If it's too big to fit, you've got a bigger problem. (More on that in a minute.)

Once the magnet assembly is off, you'll want to sand off the mushroomed edges and sand the pole flat on top (I moved through a few grits of sandpaper -- I think 120 to do the work up to 400 to get nice and shiny).

Once that's done, it's theoretically as simple as adjusting the nut to change the height of the pole and get it level. I say theoretically because the nut is attached to the bolt with a metric s*8t-ton of loctite. I've read of people needing a blow torch and extra long handled wrench/big bench vice combo to get it to release. I used a torch and still never successfully got mine to release -- wrench and vice were not big enough, apparently. I lucked out by hitting about the right height when I sanded it in the first place.

Too much of a pain? The whole assembly can be had for 35 bucks new. The pole and bracket are two separate pieces.

If the head is mushroomed so much that it won't come down through the hole, you are in trouble. It's a bad idea to use a torch on the underside of your playfield (yeah, I know, obvious statement of the week), and it's hard to sand off the edges of the pole when the magnet is still in the playfield. I don't know the solution.

Once you get the magnet fixed, you are going to find that the hole bounce-outs are worse now that you are actually making direct shots to the hole. You'll want to put a piece of drop dead foam (think pinbits sells it) or weather insulation stripping both on the metal plate behind the hole and the wood platform behind the hole. All will be well. Then cover the magnet with molex (somebody sells a custom-sized piece, not on my usual computer to check now) so it doesn't mushroom again. Good luck.

Cover with mylar not molex hehe...thx for the laugh

Ha! That's what I get for trying to sneak a note in while I'm on my way out the door. I'd edit it, but it's more fun the way it is. I like the image of it.

You can buy the foam here for the Doc Oc hole.
http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_45&products_id=247
or you can just buy a strip of the foam and cut to size like I did though I never had any bounce out issues. Did it anyway.
http://www.pinbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=131
I also covered the magnet with a mylar circle just in case.

Wiz,
If I can be of any assistance, let me know. You probably need a third party to test out that new shaker motor anyway

I put a blue rubber pad there and it works 100%. Make sure to clean before install and to press it very firmly into place.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=689&parent=0

It is important for the magnet to be at the proper height. You can adjust it but it can be a real pain as they glued the large nut into place. You can use lube to make it easier to loosen. I had to take it out to loosen the large nut first then re-installed adjusted height and re-tighten the nut to secure it in place.

i'm having a hard time believing that only the magnet was the issue? unless it was set so high on the playfield that it was influencing the ball play? my DH magnet was so shroomed out, it lost at least 3 inches of total play, no joke. glad to see you resolved your problem. spidey is one of my fav machines to play!